Take Back the Crown

Valeiah squeezed her eyes shut, covering her ears. She tried to block out everyone else's voices. She didn't want to listen to them. They sounded so sorry– but they didn't even know Alo. They didn't know about his dead wife, or his dead daughter and son, or about how he loved the smell of pine trees, or the story about how he got the scar on his forehead, or how much he loved to braid Valeiah's hair. They didn't know her brother, yet there they were, crying and feeling bad. She didn't understand. The thick smell of blood suspended in the air was finally too much, and she stood up, moving off to the side and being sick.
 
Amidst all the turmoil Nameen was having trouble reaching the rest of her companions.  She could see bursts of raw, powerful magic light up the darkness and she desperately made fought her way towards it.  Daemon after daemon fell to her blade, and slowly she began to make out her companions.  Bo, Oceana, Kacel'la and others, but her attention locked on a slumped figure with fiery red hair.  Yaroslav had fallen, but Nameen didn't have time to absorb this as the daemons continued to forge ahead. 


The chaos pursued and Nameen saw with victory that she had nearly reached the others.  She slashed at several daemons, felling them before everything went unnaturally still.  A smooth voice cut through the air, and Nameen's eye fell on the daemoness standing calm and proud amidst all that went on.  She did not slacken the grip on her sword as the daemons all around her retreated, but her attention was immediately drawn to a desperate cry.  One that was very human. 


She, along with the rest, watched in disbelief as Alo's life was extinguished right in front of them. 


Peering down at her fallen companion's body, Nameen drew a ragged breath as Valeiah's scream filled her ears. 


She fell into a daze for a moment, unable to shake an unusual image of Alo full of life during their food fight with the dwarves. 


Nameen was brought back to reality, upon remembering that Yaroslav had also been greatly injured.  She spotted much of the group huddled around the warrior, and slowly made her way over, bloodstained sword still in hand.  Approaching, Nameen could see the desperate expressions painted across the faces of her companions and her heart sunk even further.  They had already lost Alo...


"Is there anything that can be done?"  She looked at Svetlana, speaking softly.  Anything at all?


@Lo Alyssa
 
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Bo watched wide-eyed as Alo was thrown across the scene, and his heart was ripped violently from his chest. He held his breath as the daemon's words of warning rang through his head. This is a warning. It was only a warning. This whole battle was only a warning? And Alo's death, it was just a warning? Then what of Valeiah's heart shattering cry? Not a game you can win. But it wasn't a game. Bo's heart sank in his chest, as a solemn realization came upon him. Again and again, he obsessed over trying to be focused on the goal of their quest, and again and again, he anticipated death - but only really for himself. If he had known Alo, and really talked to him, he knew the death would hit him harder. He still hated that their was a death among one of their own, but a seed of determination began to grow in his heart - something rooted in more than gusto and the temporary flame of the energy felt in the heat of battle. 


At this moment, he wasn't strong enough, or capable enough to protect everybody. Even if he were to exceed the powers of Svetlana, or any other being on the earth, he knew that he would be limited, as all living creatures were not without weakness. Surely there would come a day when the battles would be harder, and the enemy more merciless and unrelenting. More of them would die at the hands of Kvacht and his people, among the other forces that stood against them. Through whatever luck he had, he somehow managed to scoop Hjalmar and Yaro from the claws of death but he knew, if... but if only he was stronger, he could do more. He needed to do more, he...


I need to be stronger. He determined it in his heart. For them.


And they needed to help those right in front of them. From what he understood of what Svetlana had been saying, Yaro needed help right away, and she needed him over at the wagons. So he picked up Yaro once again, carefully, and this time leaving Hjalmar sitting where he was. "I can bring him over to the caravan." He said quietly, to Svetlana, Oceana, and Foxrun. 


@Lo Alyssa @OlKaJa77 @GalacticRam
 
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Phaedra picked herself up from farther away from the group where she had been cornered by several of the Daemon, nearly caught in a position where she would not have been about to regroup if it weren't for the she-demon pulling back. By the time she came to the edge of their campsite, she could clearly see who the cries of pain belonged to. Alo was drenched in a growing pool of his own blood, lifeless as the liquid seeped into the thirsty earth beneath him. Valeiah had since moved away, caught up in her grief, understandably. Phaedra couldn't honestly feel much for the loss. She hadn't known Alo enough. She didn't know hardly any of them enough. It didn't stop her from feeling ill as she once again stood face to face with the reality of their quest. It wasn't comradery and jokes like their final night had been at the dwarven town in the sands. It wasn't just the slow friendships growing from their shared journey or the blood spilt.
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It was death. It was horror and gore and trauma. It was the inevitability of their mortality. That was the reality.
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Did this stop her from participating? No. It did make her wonder how much the others truly cared about this loss. It made her wonder how much they would have cared if it had been her. How much did it truly matter in the end so long as the Crown was pieced together again? After some thought, Phaedra decided it didn't matter at all. No matter the cost, the quest must continue. She felt a pang of pain in her chest like a burst of lightning striking through it at this final thought, then swiftly stuffed the unwanted emotions away. With a boost of energy, she flew towards the group around Yaroslav, the air around her prickling with static. The man was gravely injured and, at the very least, she would work to save the one life she could.
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"Svetlana - how can I help? If you need potions or remedies made, I can assist."
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Valeiah made her way back from where she'd thrown up, looking at her brother laying in the grass, life completely drained from him. Her eyes stung again, and she fell back to her knees next to him, wanting to let out another scream of pain, but not being able to. She couldn't gather the strength to even open her mouth.


Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she gazed at the hole in his chest. It didn't look like one inch of him wasn't covered in blood. She just stared at him, not sure what to do. She didn't know if she could do anything anymore.


The thought that had been going through her mind over and over again now weighed down on her heart. She thought that she hated him. She had told herself that she hated her brother. Now he was dead, and she regretted it more than anything.


Valeiah wanted to hear his sarcasm again. She wanted to be called Guppy one more time. She wanted him to push her out of a tree like they'd done when they were kids. She wanted him to braid her hair, and teach her how to throw knives, and she wanted him to comfort her more than anything.


But she couldn't help wondering if she really deserved any of it.


"I... I don't feel good..."
 
   Svetlana froze in those devastating moments, there was nothing she could do. And for the moment following, she found herself unable to pull herself together. Misery and heartache hung over the fellowships small campsite like a thick blanket. Alo died, Valeiah was in hysterics, Hjalmar was barely able to move, Aggie was badly wounded, even the princess had been stabbed, and her grandson lie in the grass- bleeding out from the blight inflicted by the bringer of all this devastation. She wanted to help all of them at once, but she wasn't that powerful.


   She wasn't powerful... not at all, she thought to herself.


   She couldn't protect them.


   They were her responsibility and she failed.


   She closed her eyes in an attempt to think, what was the best course of action? Who should she attend to first? Who needed her most? All of them! She whimpered. She helplessly sat there next to Yaroslav, her hands still firmly placed on his gaping wound. He needed her most right now... or were those her personal feelings getting in the way of helping others? She felt a bloodied firm hand place itself on hers, her green eyes shot open to see who. Relief washed over her as she saw Yaroslav's eye crack open, his other swollen shut from the hard blow.


   "You are not alone." He managed to croak out weakly, followed by a wet cough. She shook her head, this was not the time to break down. Her grandson was right, she wasn't alone. Leaving his side, she got to her feet to stand in the middle of camp.


   Grabbing a blanket from the cot closest to her, one that had been broken down, she strode towards Alo's body and covered him gently. She looked at Valeiah's eyes with empathy, knowing the pain of losing ones family. She took a short moment to reach out with her mind and magic, brushing up against the girl's consciousness with feelings of encouragement and warmth. She couldn't offer words, for words did nothing. This was the most intimate way she could display her shared sadness for the boy's gruesome death, and that of her own family. It was little, but she hoped it would be enough to help the poor girl to hold on. She would not ask anything of the healer, so with that she retracted her thoughts and strode towards the smothered fire. She looked to the horizon to see the sun was about to peek over the plains. She had a plan.


   With as much authority as she could muster she spoke loudly and calmly, "Though our hearts lead us to believe otherwise, this is not the time to mourn lest we wish to bring about more death." She said firmly, "I will tend to Alo later, and we will be given the chance to mourn his passing, but that time is not now." She looked sympathetically at Valeiah. It sounded cold, but if they remained where they were and spent this crucial time weeping, more deaths were bound to follow. "Oceana, Garret, take Yaroslav to the head caravan carefully. Put pressure on the wound until I can come and tend to him... Nameen, Phaedra..." She paused, hating to ask them of this job, "Please retrieve Alo's body and rest him on the cot in my tent. It's still intact, and I would like to prepare his body as soon as I have tended to the wounded... Ashlar, Bo, Aggie has also been wounded and is in need of attention." The woman saw Ashlar's face drop at the statement, "Bring her to the fire pit and see if you can get it going again until I return. There are bandages in my satchel," She pointed toward the area around her cot, "retrieve them and bind her wounds until I can properly heal them... Foxrun, Lilith, the princess also needs tending to, and as much as I would like to mend her, Yaroslav is my highest priority right now. Unlike the others, his wound has his life hanging in the balance." She then reached out to Dorian with her mind, trying to be more discreet with his task, "Dorian... I need you to bring Hjalmar to the rear caravan. I'm aware that you know of his mark. I think his... new found magical talents- have something to do with it. I don't want the others to get involved, but I need to check on him as well. He really exhausted himself tonight. A novice spending that amount of energy could have killed him, I'm surprised he hasn't passed out yet." She gave him a quick look and a nod before heading towards the head caravan, following close behind Oceana and Garrett.


   She saw that Lucas was, for the most part, unscathed. He was staring at Alo's dead body in shock, this must have been the first time the prince had experience death first hand. She changed her course and approached him. Placing her hand on his shoulder, he whipped his head at her with tears in his eyes, finally snapping back to reality. "Lucas, I want someone to stay with Valeiah. Can you do that for me?" She asked, "Loss can sometimes make people do reckless things. And even though she keeps pushing everyone away, this is a time where she needs support." Lucas looked at the girl in silence for a moment before answering.


   With a slight nod, Lucas got up from his sisters side and headed towards Valeiah. He looked over his shoulder once to see Svetlana hastily return to her task at hand. The boy gulped, and sat next to the healer. It was hard to find a spot on the ground that wasn't covered in carnage. He glanced up at her once before returning his gaze to the blades of grass which he pulled at uselessly. What could he do? What could he say? But he realized that words nor actions would help her now, that perhaps just his presence would be enough to comfort her in the slightest. With that he closed his eyes, and would just be there for her, even if he couldn't do anything.


   All he could do now was hope.


   But hope was all that their little group had to go on, and it got them this far. He would not abandon it now.



(I hope I got everybODY)
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Bo listened intently as Svetlana gave them orders to help the wounded. Focused on the task at hand, he made eye contact with Ashlar and gave him a nod and stepped over to him. 


"You go get Aggie, and I'll get the satchel and bandages." He ordered (although he didn't mean for it to sound like that, it just came out that way). And with that, he headed over to Svetlana's cot quickly, making sure he grabbed everything.


@Lo Alyssa @Tater
 
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Both Garrett and Dorian nodded as they heard their respective tasks.


The soldier quickly headed to Yaroslav. He made sure to carefully pick the man up as not to jostle the wound and carried him where Svetlana had indicated.


Meanwhile Dorian had swooped of his shoulder to fly to Hjalmar, turning back to human as he was near the boy.


"Come on Sparkler, up we go." He mumbled as he did his best to help Hjalmar up and towards the end of the caravan.


The familiar was not a stranger to the exhaustion that came with using too much magic, as when he had first aquired his own powers he had made quite a few mistakes and often underestimated how much something would drain him. So he used his abilities as a familiar to share what power he had left to try and get Hjalmar back up on his feet faster.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Pippa had made his way back to Aggie in his small corgi form, looking matted but quite plump from his time away. Aggie went and patted his little head and closed her eyes, laying a hand on her still bleeding chest. 


/Aggie your hands are freezing./


"That's what happens when you lose blood.." she said out loud, too exhausted to speak to him in his head. 


/Are you going to die?/ the familiar sat on her lap and ontop of one of her hands in hopes to warm it up. Though his words were concerning, his tone seemed flat and bored. 


"I....I hope not." her voice cracked and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. 


/That's different. You always told me you wanted to di-/ he yelped as Aggie managed to pinch his stomach, hissing a profanity at her as he stood up. /For all I care you could. Releases me from your pitiful body./


The elf smiled to herself and peeked over to the animal,"If I live I'm ridding myself of you. For good. " she laughed weakly and turned her head towards where Ashlar was,"And move onto better things in life...without you nabbing in my ear...."



Peering over to the dark skinned man the animal laughed, /Him? He will be no better for you than I am. I can feel something about that man. I smell lies on him./


Turning her head to Pippa, Aggie curled her nose angrily,"You know nothing you angry gab. " weakly throwing her blade at the dog she let her head thunk back as her wound opened up from the movement ,letting out a cry,"Piss off, mutt..."
 

"Of course."
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It wasn't until she was given the task of taking care of the body that she realized the true extent of the dread she felt. Phaedra could feel the color drain from her face as she slowly turned her head to Alo's body, blood already soaking through the thick blanket Svetlana had placed over him. Perhaps she didn't realize exactly how selfish she had been in her offer of help to create potions and salves. Though she had originally just offered for Yaroslav, it would have benefited the whole group - right? She gulped. Maybe - just maybe - the idea of tending to the wounded was a slightly more hopeful task than to handle their dead and she was aware of that in the back of her mind.
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Her odd-colored eyes shifted towards Nameen and wondered briefly if she felt the same oppressive dread she did. A man she had previously thought she wasn't close enough to care about and yet here she was, reeling back at the thought of touching his lifeless body. A man she had not that long ago been in a food fight with. A man that played the silly game of truth or dare. A man that had a family, though scarce if she remembered correctly from Valeiah. And, of course, a man who was killed before his own sister's eyes. Phaedra would never admit it, but she cared more than she let on.
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It isn't him anymore. He isn't there, Phaedra. Get the body. It's not his. That isn't him.
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The thoughts repeated in her head as she floated somberly across the field to where Alo's body was. She couldn't put her hands on him by the time she reached him. She took a deep breath. She had to. Phaedra realized the weight of her task - preparing the body so that they could mourn was a sacred task and one that would bring comfort, grim as it may have been. The half-sylph looked to Nameen, meeting the woman's eyes to see if she was ready to carry the body.
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He nodded briefly, turning his eyes to the witch, Lilith. she had been an apprentice to Svetlana, right? Hopefully she would be a bit more prepared for something like this then? He took a shaken breath and focused on the task at hand "let's get you fixed up." He offered the slightest grin towards Lucasta as he spoke, examining the extent of the wound at her side, grimacing as he did. How?! How could someone do this all the time? He had seen some awful things, like what had happened today, but never looked at something this closely in hopes to mend it. 


@Lo Alyssa@Queen of Fantasy
 
Oceana nodded to the elder mage and stood, carefully working with Garrett to lift Yaro onto a torn sheet of tent and then up to the wagons.


Oh bear boy, she whispered to him silently.


A sudden surge of apprehension rolled over her and she was almost sick with the force of it.


She didn't need to turn to feel the whisper of the presence along her own spirit; like a rustling wind that swirled uncertainly through oaken boughs.


The huntress felt a spark of empathy for the sylph and though she hadn't meant for it to travel to her, perhaps it did...


@TeeKay


Oceana hadn't realized she had been clenching her fists into the warrior's torn shirt and she almost jerked her hand back, mind filling with self reproach.


She pushed an extra shirt against Yaroslav's wound and murmured poems and nonsense about Elvglenn, hoping that some sort of stimulation would keep his spirit's attention and keep it from leaving the living world. 


Perhaps she was also just distracting herself.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Valeiah stared at the blanket over the body that was her brother, only being drawn away from her suffocating thoughts when Lucas approached. She looked at him, her eyes swollen and red from the sobbing, tears were still involuntarily rolling down her cheeks. Her skirt was drenched with blood just by kneeling by Alo's corpse for so long.


"I don't know what to do...." She mumbled mournfully.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Kacel'la slowly got out of her little attack, managing to force herself under strict control again. Hoping that no-one would notice her little absence, she went off to search where to help.


She saw Phaedra and Nameen standing near the body, the sylph looking unsure and conflicted, so she appeared next to the two.


"How may I help?" she asked. She certainly could easily pick up the body to carry it somewhere, and her mind was currently too blank to feel anything about the bloody and somber work.


@TeeKay @Rydellius
 
Nameen nodded somberly at Svetlana's request for her and Phaedra.  She wasn't a healer and had no talent for tending wounded, nor was she good with comforting words.  


This task, she knew, was the least she could do.  


Nameen sheathed her blade, having still had it in hand, and glanced over to where Alo's body lay underneath beneath its covering.  For a brief second she found herself unable to move, only look to where her fallen companion lay.  Though she had not known him well images of him still flashed through her head, from his first encounter with the group right up until the previous day.  How fast the whole thing had taken place, the battle, Alo, everything, seemed almost surreal.  


Nameen slowly exhaled, before stepping across the carnage towards Alo, Phaedra drifting next to her.  While she attempted to keep her face a blank slate, a brief glance over at Phaedra showed the sylph looking defeated and comprehensive.  


As they reached him Nameen knelt at his feet, preparing herself to lift.  She peered up at Phaedra, who was hesitating, her look of conflict heightened.  


She was about to say something before Kacel'la approached them with the offer to help.  In response to her, Nameen glanced up at Phaedra again.  She was willing to see the task through, though was unsure of the other woman.  


@L1d1ja @TeeKay
 
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Phaedra hesitated for a moment, contemplating letting Kacel'la carry the body in her stead.
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No. I was tasked with this.
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She took a deep breath and nodded, slowly exhaling. She would make a compromise as Phaedra knew she couldn't carry the body since she did not possess that much physical strength, especially not after just exhausting herself moments ago. The dead weight of the corpse would be too much. It didn't help that the thought of touching a corpse sent her mind reeling. There was something about it that made her want to scream and panic. She never realized she had such a fear of the dead despite seeing frozen corpses left in the mountains. Maybe this was different?
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"We must carry Alo to Svetlana's tent, though I must admit that I'm too weak to carry him. If you could help, it'd be much appreciated, Kacel'la. I can use my magic to help lighten the burden."
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That would have to be enough. With that, as the other women picked Alo's body up, Phaedra focused her limited energy on wrapping the air around it. She couldn't completely suspend it in the air, but it certainly helped make the load significantly easier to carry and stopped blood from oozing out of the body as it floated in the air, pooling as the life essence continuing to pour out of his chest. Before they moved away, Phaedra's eyes fell on the young woman in mourning. She felt horribly ill and her voice barely escaped her lips, afraid to speak to her lest she accidentally provoke her in her fragile emotional state. Still, she couldn't simply leave with her brother's body without a word.
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"We will clean him up, Valeiah."
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   When Valeiah spoke to him- or perhaps she just spoke out loud, he looked up in surprise. What could he say? Should he say anything at all? He could scarcely imagine what it felt like to lose someone so close- especially family. He had lost his parents, but he was only a baby and didn't even remember them. The closest thing he had to parents was the bar keeper at the inn. But he tried to imagine losing his sister... if anything ever happened to her? He imagined it would feel like someone ripped out his heart... 


   The daemon didn't tear out one heart... she tore out two.


   "Because there is nothing you can do." He finally stated, "And there's nothing that could have been done, so do not feel as if you are to blame." He added quickly, "I say that you take all the time you need to mourn for him... and until those tears stop flowing, don't trouble yourself over what you should do. You don't need to do anything right now... just rest."



 
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   Hjalmar was in shock... at everything. So much happened in such little time. After Yaro was struck down right in front of him, he couldn't think of anything else. It's my fault, he kept thinking in his head. He didn't even think of how he had saved the warrior from a deadly blow. All he could think about was the fact that Yaroslav took the hit for him. Yaroslav is crucial to this quest, he continued in his head, I'm... well, I'm useless. The group would likely be better off without him. After all, he was just a thief, and there were plenty of characters who shared his abilities in the group that could easily substitute for him should he have not been there. He was so wrapped up in thought he barely noticed how someone was helping him walk away from the battle scene, though they were doing more walking than he- as he was tripping all over his own feet.


   He looked up to see that it was Dorian. He could feel himself slowly getting his energy back, and he wondered if the familiar had anything to do with it. Dorian helped him up into the rear caravan, setting him down on one of the cushioned benches inside. It was warm and cozy, but no inviting hearth could shake the chilling memories of the events that just transpired. He could hardly believe that one of their own was killed. The daemons were far more powerful than he had first believed. So Kvacht really was just playing with us, he thought to himself, thinking back on the imps and the flying daemons that attacked them on the boat.


   He glanced at his bloodied grimy hands, he twiddled them around, finally getting some feeling back into his fingers. He didn't even know what to think when it came to the powers he displayed with the she-daemon, "That wasn't my power." He finally uttered something, ending the quiet darkness of the caravan, "I would have learned about it sooner." He added quietly, "This is something different. Something... dangerous... I never want to use it again." He lowered his head. There was no question about the origin of his sudden developments. As he fought with the she-daemon, he could feel the mark pulsating- moving, almost as if it were in control during that battle, not Hjalmar. It was unnerving to think of what else it could do.


   He was silent for a moment, pondering on the thought he had since the end of the battle.


   "I think I should leave." He said, not making eye contact with Dorian, "I'm a danger to the group."



 
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   Ashlar nodded thankfully to Bo. Without hesitation, he turned on his heel and ran as quickly as his feet could carry him towards Aggie. He found her leaning against one of the caravans weakly, her chest was caked in blood. He clenched his jaw, he should have been there to protect her. She was powerful, but not invincible. He knelt beside her and touched her face, softly brushing loose strands of dark hair out of the way. Her skin was so cold.


   "Are you okay?" His voice cracked. But he didn't let her answer. He then gently inspected the laceration on her chest, "It doesn't look too deep." He added hopefully, "Let's get you some help, eh?" He said as he carefully picked up her petite frame in his arms, slowly walking towards the firepit in the center of the camp. He almost sighed in relief, seeing that she was not mortally wounded. Though, they weren't out of the water yet. Bo had already returned to the fire pit and was waiting for them. Ashlar gently put Aggie down against one of the logs that they had positioned around the fire pit, and began to rummage around in Svetlana's satchel. He found the bandages, but paused for a moment.


   "Ah... Bo? Could you bandage her wounds?" He asked, with a hint of apprehension, "I'll get the fire going again. We need some warmth in this cold place." He added, getting up and tending to the fire. He bit his lip and swallowed because truthfully, Ashlar felt flustered at the thought of touching Aggie's chest, even it was to cover her wounds.



 
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   Svetlana entered the caravan with Garrett and Oceana who had laid Yarosalv out in the center of the floor. He had drifted back into sleep since encouraging her, almost as if he had been awoken by her apprehension and felt the need to help her even when he was so close to death. She pulled her greasy hair back into a tie, this would take awhile. She fetched some herbs and concoctions from the compartments along with some gauze and a knife before returning to his side. "Give me some room," she asked the two gently as she brushed away his sweat-drenched hair from his blistered face. His breathing was ragged, his skin far paler than it usually was.


   When they stepped away she began the process of removing his armor. Not wanting to waste precious time on his tunic, she cut it down the middle with the knife. Removing the cloth from his skin, she saw that the wound was far worse underneath. Though the profuse bleeding had lessened, the black sludge of the blight was still bubbling and oozing out of his side, the veins near the wound were darkened from the blight. If she used magic, it would spread even farther through out his body; eventually killing him. She was thankful he was struck in a spot that could be healed, had his vitals been hit? There would be nothing she could do to save him. Seeing the wound, though as gnarly as it appeared, gave her hope for his survival. They had a fighting chance! After asking one of the two that accompanied her to fetch water, she grabbed a cloth from a drawer. They returned quickly and set it next to her. She used a small amount of magic to warm the water, knowing the heat would do more good. She then spent ten minutes cleaning the wound itself, and the area around it in order to prevent infection- though he was already infected with the blight, there was no telling what other ailments he could develop without proper cleaning.


   She then cleaned her hands of the blood and the sludge, and then took out a parchment from a bag she had grabbed and retrieved a string made of flax and a needle. There was nothing she could do about the blight. That would go away on its own time, but there was definitely something she could so about the gash in his side. With steady hands, she began the precarious work of stitching the wound together. Sweat dripped from her forehead, it had been such a long time since she had mended a wound the traditional way. She was thankful to see that she wasn't rusty, and still remembered everything to a T.


   After snipping the extra string, she ground some choice herbs with her mortar and pestle. Adding a few drops of water, it became a greenish glue-like substance. She scooped it up with her fingers and placed it over his wound, making sure to cover every square inch. She set her tools down, and washed the goop off her hand. With the assistance of Oceana and Garrett, she had them lift Yaroslav up into a sitting position so she could apply the bandages- being careful that they weren't too tight or too loose. Once that was done, she put everything away but the mortar with the substance she had created. She set it down next to both her companions, "Thank you for assisting me, I do not think I could have done that on my own." She said, wiping sweat from her forehead and letting out a sigh of exhaustion, "I think he'll be okay, if the Dayar allow it, with time and rest he should mend." She swept her things to the side, making a mental note to put them away later.


   "That green goop is called barla oil. I could go on about how I make it and what it does, but frankly I don't have time right now. I have to tend to the others, and prepare Alo's body." She said tiredly, her hands on her hips, "Would you two please apply it to his bruises while I go check on the others?" She asked politely.

 
Dorian stood next to Hjalmar, listening to what the thief had to say. He certainly didn't know what reasoning Hjalmar had taken to arrive to his statements, but some things he said just sounded stupid to the assassin.


"If it isn't yours, then how did you use it?" He rolled his eyes. "I think it's simple. If the power isn't yours, then make it yours. If it's dangerous, then make it into a weapon for your enemies to fear. And think about you leaving. At best, you'll be a danger to yourself. At worst, most probable scenario, you'll be a danger to every person you ever cross paths with. Wouldn't it be simpler to stay where you can learn control and where someone is ready to put a knife through your spine if you ever become a true danger? I know at least one person here who's staying for almost only that last reason." The familiar explained. "So what do you think, brother?"


The last word slipped out almost on its own will, and between Dorian internally cursing himself he cheered that at least Kacel’la or Garrett weren't around to joke about him constantly helping stray thieves. 


@Lo Alyssa
 
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Aggie had closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, letting her head leaning back and letting her shoulders droop. Her fingers felt so cold.


The touch to her face made her jolt slightly, her eyes flicking open as a small noise of panic escaped her lips,"Hmm! Oh just ah...a bit..." she exhaled with a little laugh,"Inconvenienced." the smile dissipated from her face.


Just as he picked her up, she clutched his robes and seethed through her teeth quietly. Looking up to the dark skinned man, she pulled her lips into a line as her face heated up slightly, her head going dizzy. // No blushing I can't...// pressing her face against his chest, she inhaled deeply, intaking the smell of musky spices and cloth. She could just melt right now if she wasn't so wounded. She couldn't help but to think about wanting to snuggle him close the campfire but it wouldn't be quite pleasent at the moment.


Leaning against the log she went and moved some of the fabric from the wound, adjusting so of no fear of a indecent slip,"I can...I can clean myself up if given the supplies, hon."


Pulling her shouldered hair up into a messy bun she smiled kindly towards Bo and Ashlar.


Picking up the fabric she used to attempt to clean herself up earlier, she started to dab at the wound again, her mouth slightly agape as she concentrated on not hurting herself.


@Lo Alyssa
 
"Yes." Bo nodded as Ashlar got up to get the fire going again. "And Aggie, don't worry about cleaning yourself up. I'll do it. You rest." He lifted up his finger, "One moment." He ran over to his horse quickly, feeling the urgency of the situation as his heart beat faster and faster. His body was controlled and calm, but inwardly he could feel the anxiety of the moment, not matter how much he ignored it for the sake of Aggie and Ashlar. I need to be stronger. He grabbed his canteen of water. He returned only seconds after, gently taking the cloth from Aggie and pulling out a new and clean one from the satchel. He poured some water on it so it was a little damp, and then began to carefully dab at the wound, trying to do his best to clean it. 


"Tell me if I'm hurting you." He instructed quietly, his focus on the wound. And then, without much thought, he began to talk, not necessarily with the goal of making conversation, but more to fill the tense silence and space that was still filling the air around them. He spoke calmly and steadily.


"You know, this isn't the first time I've had to patch someone up. I've had to do so for myself countless times, and for people I've worked with when I was a mercenary. I'm no healer, but, a healer actually did teach me the basics. Back when I was really young. She was really patient with me... especially when I'd do dumb things like get myself hurt over and over. I never needed to practice on anybody cause I could practice plenty on myself, hah."


@Lo Alyssa @Tater 
 
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Oceana bit her lip with every prod, every movement, every pass of the bandage.


Yaroslav had been leaned up slightly into her shoulder and this close the cloying scent of the blight wound almost made her gag.


But she held steady.


After a couple more wraps, the elder was finished with the bandages.


Finally lying the wounded man back down again, the huntress took a moment to breathe, her eyes shut and head tilted back.


When she opened her eyes she looked upon Yaro's face and bit back a wince.


Then, an unlikely smirk Suddenly split her bloodied countenance.


She leaned in slightly to the redhead, as if telling a secret.


"Even looking like this, I'm sure the lassies will still be all over you." She whispered cajolingly to the unconscious man. 


The huntress took off her gloves and turned to Garrett, hands on her knees.


"You're alright to check on Dorian or help the others if you want. I believe I can handle this here." She gestured to their charge and the poultice.


She wished Garrett to think of himself for a bit. The warrior could use a sliver of selfishness, she thought.


It may have also been awkward for a man to smear green goop on another man who was barely an acquaintance but she didn't mention that bit.


@L1d1ja@Lo Alyssa
 
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Valeiah sniffled, standing up and wiping off her tear and blood stained cheeks. "Thank you, Prince..." She said, looking into his eyes. The usual fun and bright light that was always upon her face had turned to something more gray and dark. Pure sadness.


"As much as I want to rest, I need to go help. Alo would want me to." She mumbled, standing up and walking away from him, to the tents.


The first ones she saw were Aggie, Bo, and Ashlar. Aggie was laying in a bloodied heap, and Valeiah felt her stomach lurch at the sight of it.


"Let me help..." She said, kneeling down by Aggie.


@soundofmind @Lo Alyssa @Tater
 
Bo looked at Valeiah, surprised to see her there. From the look in her eyes, he could tell that she probably desired even the smallest distraction from the tragedy that had just occurred. Understandably so. Bo looked at Aggie and then gave Valeiah a small nod.


"Ok." He spoke, his tone gentle. "What would you like to do to help? And what should I do?"


@Danika @Tater
 
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"I'm sorry, I know you just wrapped her up, but I need to be able to touch her to heal anything." Valeiah tried not to mutter anymore so they could understand her, but she couldn't get much noise out of her mouth.


"Hi, Aggie. Did you get hurt anywhere else or is it just the wound on your chest?" She mustered a smile. She always tried to keep her patients as calm as possible, and if she had to smile to do it, she would.


@soundofmind @Tater @Lo Alyssa
 
Bo simply nodded with understanding, although he did have trouble deciphering what Valeiah said. But he thought he figured it out. He'd let her do her thing and heal Aggie completely, since he knew she knew what she was doing. 


"Go ahead, doc." He scooted back, sitting beside them, but out of Valeiah's way.


@Tater @Danika
 
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